The New
by Aerona
Summary: Five years after the Animorphs disappeared, the Yeerks are trying to take Earth again. The Andalite population has been decimated. The Animorphs are missing, presumed dead. Who will fight this time?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Animorphs (the original ones). Everything like that belongs to the wonderful K.A. Applegate. Steve, Jon, Will, Hannah and Maria belong to me to play around with!**

**A/N: This is a revamp of a fic with roughly the same idea that I wrote about 4 years ago, when I was still in Primary school. It had HORRIBLE spelling, grammar and a plot riddled with holes but I liked the idea (namely, a new generation of Animorphs) and so decided to do a new, improved version. The original is under my friend's account, also titled 'The New'. Actually, that friend gave me the title. **

**If you habitually fight shy of reading 'new generation' fics, no one is forcing you to read this. Only no flames just on the ground that the 'new generation' idea is normally cliched, overused and populated with Mary/Marty-Sues/Stues. Please review this story for its own merit and not lump it in together with all the others of the genre. Constructive criticism is gladly accepted!**

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**Chapter 1**

My name is Steve.

Just Steve. Hey, I was seriously considering making up some fancy pen-name when I started writing this, but in the end my imagination gave up. I guess you'll have to settle for my first name. I'm not even going to tell you if it's real or not. If you want a last name, you'll have to make it up yourself, OK? Heck, knock yourself out. If you think that names and stuff really matter.

They don't to me. Not anymore.

Same old, same old. You want to know what state I live in? Where I go to school? Sorry, but you'll have to do without. We have to be careful. One extra word, one slip of the tongue could mean death. For me. For my friends. For the whole human race.

Got you freaked yet?

If you've been somewhere besides under a rock for the past few years, this will all sound familiar to you. You'll know about the Animorphs, and the desperate fight they put up against the Yeerk invasion, which ended in victory. For them, and for the world, which had been losing a war it hadn't even noticed. They were interstellar heroes.

If this is all Greek to you, you're probably from off the planet or something. Here's the mega-condensed version. Yeerks are a species of parasitic slugs. They take over the brains of other creatures and they control them. Utterly. Absolutely. If you're a Controller, you can't even draw a breath on your own – the Yeerk in your head decides if you breathe or not. It can read your memories like a book, take your place completely, while you cower in a corner of your brain and beg for it to be over, for death.

The invasion was slow, insidious. It looked like the Earth was going to be lost without a fight. And that's when the Andalites intervened.

One of their number, Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, landed on Earth one night. And he gave the morphing power to five human kids.

The Animorphs.

Basically, because of these kids, buoyed up by Andalite shape-shifting technology, the Yeerks failed in their first bid for Earth. But it's not over. Oh, no. Not even close.

The Yeerks are back. They want Earth and this time they are all the more determined to get it. And there will be no help from the Animorphs. The headline was splashed across every newspaper's front page, coast-to-coast, when it happened.

They disappeared. Jake, Marco and Tobias of the Animorphs commandeered a stolen ship off into space, for who-knows-what reason. At least that's how the real newspapers put it. The tabloids weren't as kind, and for a while a lot of crazy rumors were flying around. At least, they were until everyone realized that those Animorphs weren't coming back.

There is just one Animorph left alive.

We can't expect very much help from that quarter.

I guess this whole thing started that day at school. I'd woken up late and missed the school bus, so my mom had had to rush me down in the car. She was angry, obviously, because that meant her chances of being late for work were very real. I know how to deal with her, so I held my tongue throughout the journey. The storm normally blows over fast, and until then it's no use trying anything. Anyway, I was more concerned with getting to class before the tardy bell than reconciliation.

I elbowed my way through the bustling throngs who were all on their way to class, and therefore going in the opposite direction to me. It was like swimming against a current, and I struggled to keep my backpack on my shoulders as I was buffeted to and fro. I was half-smashed against the lockers by the crush, and quickly began to dial in my combination, praying that the lock would open. Staying after for detention that day was definitely not high on my 'Things to Do' list.

Unfortunately, that lock is diabolical. I swear it reads minds. As I punched in number after number and rattled it until I was scared the whole bank of lockers would come crashing down and smash me flat, the crowd in the hall thinned until there were only a few stragglers milling around. Frantically, I dialed and re-dialed my combination, with exactly the same effect as the first time.

A hand reached round and took the lock out of my desperate fingers. Deftly, it twisted the dial. The lock popped open.

My best friend Jonathan handed me the open lock and began to pile the entire contents of my locker into my arms.

"C'mon, idiot. We have like ten seconds to get to class."

I staggered under the weight of about twenty large books. Jon topped off the pile with an algebra textbook and stood back to admire his handiwork, his lazy smile on his face.

Jon has been my best friend for years. He's not all that popular in school, and I think it's because no one really knows him like I do. He's shy most of the time, but get to know him and you'll see his real value as a person – under all the shyness and awkwardness there's something really worthwhile. He understands a lot, even without saying anything.

"Can this really be the football star Steve I see here? Staggering under a few paltry books?"

"Yeah, it is." I could feel my spine start to telescope. "And a real friend wouldn't just stand there watching me suffer. A real friend would give me a hand."

Just to make sure he got the point, I added, "And that means you."

Jon laughed, brushed a strand of blond hair out of his eyes and grabbed the topmost few books, almost making me overbalance as the weight lessened dramatically. "We'd better hurry."

We ran, but we didn't make it. The bell rang just as we burst through the door of our Social Studies classroom. All eyes were on us as we halted, gasping for breath, under the icy glare of our teacher, Mr. Nicholson. He's tall, intimidatingly so, balding slightly perhaps, but he still had the gift of turning students into jellies, just by speaking one or two blistering words. He governed with an iron fist and we could tell that the rest of the class was waiting with bated breath for the ax to fall.

They were disappointed. Instead of the chewing-out Jon and I braced ourselves for, Nicholson just glared at us for a bit and then told us that our detention was fixed for that afternoon.

Although I wasn't grateful for the detention, Social Studies wasn't a subject I'd have missed by choice, anyway. We'd just started a new chapter and although Nicholson wasn't all that interesting I was starting to get sucked in in spite of myself.

"I am sure you have all seen Andalite tourists at the mall – of course, they are hard to miss, even when in human morph -" The corner of his mouth curved up in a faintly derisive smirk. "But have you ever thought how we first came to make contact with other planets? I am sure you know of the recent war. You will understand more about it if you have read the chapter I assigned."

Right. I hadn't read the stupid chapter. But everyone knew about the war. Traces of it were still everywhere, even after ten-plus years. Patches of wasteland that no one wanted to build on, even now. Broken families.

Jon's is one of them. His parents were fighting in the war. On the other side. As Controllers. As enemies of Earth. They died when he was very young. Killed when the Animorph Rachel attacked their force.

I could see that Jon was having trouble listening to the lesson. His face was white, and he was doodling aimlessly on his notebook.

Suddenly I didn't think the chapter was all that cool anymore.

Nicholson went on. "If you _have_ read the chapter, which I sincerely doubt –" He managed to put all sorts of nasty inflections into his italics. "– You will know who was leading the Yeerk forces." When we all looked blank he got impatient. "Come on! Tell me! Who was in charge of the Earth invasion?"

Now, if you were acquainted with this class, you'd know straight away that probably about half of us had even touched our books over the weekend. And out of the semi-conscientious fifty percent, almost no one would be prepared to answer and face Nicholson's wrath if they got it wrong.

I said almost. That's why one lone hand went up, somewhere in the middle of the room. Its owner waited to be called on and then answered confidently, "Visser One, sir."

Nicholson's eyebrows scrunched together. I'm not sure if he likes it when people get stuff right, or if he sees it as a kind of attack on his authority. Like he's the only one allowed to be smart in class.

Anyway, I could tell who it was from the voice. Hannah's been my neighbor for the longest time, since grade school (first grade, in fact), and we used to buddy it around a lot until she lost interest in outdoor stuff and decided that grades were important. I guess you could call her a straight-A student. Whatever, I liked her better when she was the little dirty kid who'd climb trees with me.

She has brown hair and I think her eyes were green – I haven't noticed them for a long time. Jon lost interest in his random doodling and looked up.

Right now, Nicholson couldn't very well do anything but grunt, "That's correct," and carry on with the lesson. As he turned back to the board, Hannah turned in her seat until she was facing Jon and me. The girl sitting beside her half-turned as well but for some reason quickly snapped back to face the front again.

I had to squint for a few moments before I realized what she was mouthing.

_See you at lunch?_

I frowned. We hadn't spoken since – well, last Christmas, when our families always exchange gifts. I gave her a tentative thumbs-up and returned to my book. Beside me, Jon bent his head as well. He was blushing slightly. I elbowed him and raised my eyebrows.

Seconds later, his sneaker came crashing down on my foot. I barely suppressed a yell of pain.

"Is anything the matter, Steve, Jonathan?"

Damn.

"N-no."

"Good, because I would hate to have to stretch your detention to tomorrow, as well."

Jon and I made sure to keeps our heads down and our mouths shut throughout the rest of the period.

When the lunch bell rang we made our way to the cafeteria and joined the queue for food. Now, I don't know what the food situation at your school is like, but believe me, our cafeteria food is definitely not five-star.

Jon made a face as the person serving slapped a spoonful of grayish mashed potato on his plate, and followed it up with a splash of watery stew. He complained in a low voice as we made our way to our customary table.

"Man, I know that they don't get paid enough for this job, but this food ranks as, like, toxic waste."

We sat down at our table. As I scanned the crowd for Hannah, my eye caught someone else's instead. Cursing myself, I quickly looked back down at my plate.

"Oh no, oh no…"

"What?" Jon looked around as I had done.

"It's Will. Please don't come over…" I breathed a fervent prayer to my mashed potato. Jon gave me a punch on the shoulder.

"Steve, chill! He has every right to sit where he wants. Besides, he's lonely. He doesn't have all that many friends."

"I wonder why?" I muttered. I didn't have time to say more than that, because Will shoved his way through the crowd and came to sit beside us.

Will is a paraplegic; at least I think that's what it's called. He uses a wheelchair to get around. He was a transfer student from some other state a few months ago, and the teachers foisted him off on me. I was supposed to show him round the school so that he could adjust. Unfortunately, he now hangs around with Jon and me, whenever he gets the chance.

Now, my tolerance levels are normally quite high – not phenomenally and impossibly high like Jon's, but still up there – and Will still grinds my last nerves. You might think under the façade he puts up there is a nice guy just waiting to show himself (at least that's what Jon says), but I'm not so sure. He's not mean or anything, he just gives off this vibe, you know? You can sense it, and I guess you could call it wariness, arrogance and determination to keep everyone else at arm's length. Being around him is not fun.

Will has black hair; he keeps it overlong and it mostly keeps his face in shadow. He's mostly angles – there's no tinge of softness in his face. Even when he smiles you don't feel as if he really means it. He smiled at Jon and me now.

"Hey, guys. How're you doing?" He'd used his wheelchair to shove his way through the crowd.

I muttered something, but Jon faced Will with a smile.

"Great, once Social Studies was over. Steve and I got busted by Nicholson; we were late this morning. So, detention!"

He made a face, and he and Will laughed together. Then Will sat up as if he'd just remembered something.

"Hey, I'm staying after today too!"

I shoved potato into my mouth to stop myself from saying something sharp, cutting or just plain unadvised. Thankfully, I was saved by Hannah turning up at our table. Tagging along behind her was the girl I'd half-noticed during Social Studies. I gave her a quick once-over. Dark hair, dark eyes, Hispanic. Currently looking a little nervous.

Once she'd got all of our attention, Hannah nudged her friend and spoke simultaneously. "This is Maria, guys."

Maria seemed to be teetering on the brink of saying something, but in the end the remark didn't pass her lips. She shook her head, glancing at Will and Jon. Hannah made an exasperated face.

"Sorry. Hey, Steve, when will you be going home later? Staying for anything?"

By now, I was seriously weirded-out. "Uh-huh… Detention."

Hannah looked exasperated again.

"Great. OK. We'll meet you to walk home, all right? We're neighbors anyway."

The two girls disappeared into the crowds. Jon and I looked at each other.

"What's with them?"

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**I've realised that after this chapter, the chapters get SHORTER and SHORTER... I'm trying to get them the length of a typical Animorphs book, i.e. 3-4 pages on Word. So this one was WAY too long.**

**Hope you liked the first chapter! XD Again, I don't mind constructive criticism on the flaws this story may posess - they're what helps an author improve. But no flames please. **

**Any suggestions for the direction which the story should take are greatly appreciated. Oh yeah, tell me which character is your favourite!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Animorphs, though that would have been the best birthday present in the world XD**

**A/N: OK, chapter 2! I know I told some reviewers that I'd be on hiatus until after my exams, but then again how long does posting one chapter take? This is probably the last until November, though. **

**Once again, it totally floats my boat that people actually like this story and want an update :)**

**Oh, and just thought I'd share: when I write, I have an Animorphs playlist to listen to XD Here are the theme songs for my group.**

**Steve: It's Not My Time - 3 Doors Down**

**Hannah: What Have You Done - Within Temptation**

**Jon: Violet Hill - Coldplay**

**Maria: Dare You to Move - Switchfoot**

**Will: There And Back Again - Daughtry**

**I know some of the songs don't really fit in terms of lyrics. In fact, I think the only one with a good fit is Steve's :p Mainly, I choose them because they sound like what the character, to my mind, would sound like if they were a song (in terms of mood as well as tune etc.) For example, Jon just sounds like Coldplay. Melodic rock. Yeah. **

**Anyway, enjoy! I'm proud I managed to get this chapter up at all - it took a 20 minute pitched battle with the library computer XD**

**Chapter Two**

Detention did nothing to make me forget their weird behavior. For one thing, Jon, Will and I were sitting a few seats apart in an empty classroom, occupying ourselves with homework. We rattled around like three peas in a bottle. Communication was impossible since Nicholson was sitting at the front of the room.

So, once boredom had set in, I had nothing to do except think. And obviously, I tried to figure out what Hannah and her friend – Maria – wanted. The theories grew wilder as the time went by, until I was almost crazy to know what was going on.

We met them at the school gate. I think they'd been waiting. Hannah was looking annoyed, and Maria even more nervous than she had been before. Jon was pushing Will's wheelchair and as we approached I saw the two girls look at each other. It was a look that said, _This wasn't part of the plan._

We walked out of school as a group. There was an awkward silence for a few moments, and then Hannah said, "It's no good, you might as well do it now, because I'm sure as hell not gonna go through this for you again."

She was talking to Maria, who turned red and motioned ineffectually towards Jon and Will. Hannah huffed impatiently, grabbed Jon's arm and dragged him and Will ahead down the sidewalk.

I stayed where I was. Maria looked at me, took a deep breath and dropped her bombshell.

"I – I like you, Steve."

Wow. OK, I seriously had not been expecting this. I'd seen Maria around school sometimes, and had known her by sight. She was usually the centre of attention, with a joke for every moment. Now she was staring down at the sidewalk.

If that's what hormones do to you, I seriously don't want that to happen to me.

"Um – well, I'm flattered and all, I guess… But, um, I don't… you know… like you. In that way. It's not that I don't _like_ you… I mean, I don't know you all that well! Um…"

Smooth, Steve, very smooth.

I was terrified that Maria would be upset, and that I'd get the blame from Hannah for that. She can be very scary. Like, once when I broke something of hers, I can't remember what, she chased me up a tree in her garden and waited underneath for me to try and climb down.

Of course, I didn't think she'd do that now. But then again…

Maria wasn't upset. I think she had an inkling that it wouldn't work. Instead, she was laughing. Her shoulders were shaking.

"Oh man, Steve, am I sorry! That must have been really awkward for you. Truth is, I've had this stupid little crush on you since – oh – two years ago? Hannah convinced me to tell you. But if you don't feel the same, I guess I can survive."

Her laughter was kind of infectious. I felt myself starting to grin.

"But you looked really scared at lunch! And just now – you looked like you would've liked the sidewalk to swallow you up!"

"Oh, that! Yeah, it was kind of intimidating. With your friends alongside, watching me. Terrifying! At least it's off my chest now. Give it a few months and you'll be kicking yourself that you missed this golden opportunity." She stuck her chin in the air and made a mock-snooty face. I laughed.

"OK there, lovebirds?" Hannah yelled up from ahead. She'd been talking with Jon, and the three of them were waiting for us some way away.

"Oh, fine!" Maria started off towards them, me following behind. "It's just that Steve obviously doesn't know a good thing when he sees it…"

We continued down the street like that, a tight-knit group. Maria's humor was infectious; soon we were all grinning along to her ridiculous jokes. Even Will had lightened up a bit and was actually looking up at her instead of straight ahead.

It was winter, and the weather was cold. And when I say cold, I mean really, freezingly, bitingly cold. To help matters along there was a wind blowing and soon our faces and fingers were numb and red. We pulled various jackets and scarves around us and walked a bit faster. It had gotten dark already.

It was Hannah who finally spoke up.

"Look, if we stay out here any longer we'll turn into human popsicles. How about a short-cut? Through the park?"

We all looked doubtful. Cold as the street was, there were at least lampposts, so we could mostly see where we were going. OK, so the park had lamps at strategic intervals, but if we cut through the park there'd be trees on all sides, so most of the light would be blocked out.

We wrangled a bit, and I found that the others were all looking at me for a decision. That annoyed me mildly. Since when was I the one making the choices? It wasn't even if we were a proper group.

But the night was really, _really_ cold, and they were all looking at me with different degrees of hope and anticipation.

I made my decision.

"OK. Park it is."

Looking back, I think this was the point where things really started.

We cut across the street and into the park. Even Maria had stopped talking. I think everyone was nervous, to some extent. I mean, we'd just left the relative light and safety of the street and had entered darkness. I tried not to think about all the crazies who, Dad had warned me, hung around at times like these.

Jon's voice came out of the night.

"Are you sure you know the way?"

Hannah sounded annoyed – and a bit uncertain.

"Y-Yeah. It's this path, I think. Right, Steve?"

"You think?" I had used the short-cut exactly twice before, and none of those times in almost-complete darkness.

"Great," Maria said with finality. "We're lost. You think we should yell for help or just wait until morning?"

Hannah swatted her friend on the shoulder. "We are not _lost_, idiot! I'm just… not sure which the right path is."

We all looked at her.

She threw her hands into the air, dimly visible in the weak light from the lamps. "OK, fine. We're lost."

I think tempers were getting a little frayed at that point, but before an argument could be started Will shocked us all by yelling, "Look out!"

Now, in all the months I've known him, Will has barely spoken to me. And he never yells. So when he did, Jon and I both froze for a moment, astounded.

The girls weren't as acquainted with Will, and when he'd shouted they'd followed his gaze. Hannah grabbed one of my arms and yanked me back. I overbalanced, doing a face-plant into wet, slushy mud.

I was going to shout at her when I realized what the others were staring, wide-eyed, at.

A ball of light was careening towards us from out of the sky.

There was almost no time to react; the thing crashed not ten feet away from us. The resulting shockwave threw the others off their feet. Will was blasted out of his wheelchair and landed heavily on my stomach, making me yell in pain. The UFO skidded a bit, plowing up a long furrow and spattering us all with mud.

I admit it; I've never been more terrified in my life. I was sure that the thing would run us over during its crazy slide, and that my life would end right then and there. I guess the others were just as scared – they were mostly silent, but Maria gave a sound that was halfway between a gasp and a scream.

My eyes were closed as the thing crashed. Every nerve in me was screaming, praying for a quick death.

When it didn't come I opened my eyes.

It had been smashed open after the rough landing. Debris was everywhere. Its lights had cut out after it crashed. Peering through the darkness, I thought I could make out glimpses of its original structure. Sometime, it had had two stubby wings, and something that looked like a tail that curved up and over the ship's body.

I guess Jon had done the same observations as I had, because he suddenly blurted out, in an excited voice:

"It's an Andalite fighter!"

We were getting to our feet by this time; Hannah and I hooked Will's arms around our shoulders and managed to lift him back into his wheelchair. We all turned incredulously towards Jon.

"Um, Jon…" Maria said tentatively. "No Andalite fighters come to Earth anymore, not since the war. It's, I dunno, trespassing on our galaxy-space?"

She laughed nervously.

"This is probably a freighter or something…"

"No!"

Will. He'd gotten more or less settled in his chair and was leaning forward, an intense expression on his face.

"Jon's right. It's a fighter. Can't you see the tail?"

OK, so an Andalite fighter had crashed and nearly flattened us, Maria had confessed her crush on me and Will was suddenly chattier than he'd been in months.

Anything else, universe?

Suddenly Hannah pointed to the fighter. "Something's coming out!"

She sounded scared, which I'd never seen before.

We watched, mouths open, as one side of the battered ship opened.

An Andalite emerged.

Even though Andalite tourists were allowed on Earth for holidays, whenever they went out in public they would be in human morph. There were a couple of pictures of Andalites in our schoolbooks, but none of us had ever seen an Andalite in the flesh before. I speak for all of us when I say we were stunned.

See, pictures can never duplicate an Andalite's grace, and how dainty they look – until you notice the scorpion tail poised ready to strike. Pictures can't express how lethal that tail looks either, and I knew that the Andalite, if it wanted to hurt us, would make mincemeat out of all five of us without even breaking a sweat.

(I will not harm you.)

Maria still looked scared. "Gee, you think?"

The Andalite took a few steps away from his battered ship and came towards us. We stood, eyes wide.

I still don't know why I did it. It was as if my body worked on its own. I felt myself taking tentative steps forward, until the Andalite and I were face-to-face. He wasn't much taller than I was, if you take into account his centaur-like legs. As I looked into his eyes, I could see something like desperation in them.

Just like that I realized. The Andalite was probably about my age, or younger. But you could tell that he'd seen one hell of a lot more than I had. There were burn marks marring the blue-and-tan fur and a long, bloody scrape down one of his flanks.

The others took my lead, gathering around to stand a little way behind us.

"H-hi."

Hey, I never said I was all that good at making speeches, OK? Try making conversation with a wounded alien that has just so happened to crash-land his spaceship in your town's park, why don't you?

The Andalite didn't seem to notice my stuttering. (Likewise, greetings to you,) he said. Inclined his head towards the others. (All of you.)

There were various mutters from behind me. The Andalite turned back to face me. Although I couldn't pick up much expression from his mouthless face, the feeling I got now was of urgency.

(There is not much time. They will be here soon.)

"Who?"

(The Yeerks.)

Suddenly I became much more aware of the freezing wind. It seemed like all my body heat had seeped away, in spite of my jacket. My mouth moved, but nothing came out.

(My name is Jalilan-Sorrum-Dakandyth. I have been tasked by my people to bring Earth a warning.)

It was strange listening to thought-speak for the first time. It's like, not exactly words resounding in your head, but you can understand the feelings of the speaker. As Jalilan said the word _Yeerk_, I experienced his hatred and desperation.

(The Yeerks wish to try for Earth again. Their mother ship is hovering just outside Earth's atmosphere.) He forestalled me as I tried to ask a question. (Time is short. All I ask of you is that you listen and heed my words. Tell everyone you can in authority, people who will be believed. That was my original assignment, but as you can see) - he indicated his damaged fighter - (I was attacked by Yeerk forces. I have no way of getting to your authority figures.)

Now I could feel despair eating through his thought-speak.

(We were taken by surprise. We thought the Yeerks vanquished. But…)

I guess Jalilan had run out of ways to explain, because a cry of anguish ran through all of our minds, and we saw the downfall of the Andalites. We saw the final battle. Andalites falling and bleeding, going down, only to be hauled upright by aliens I assumed were Controllers and forced together, ready for infestation. Linked as I was to Jalilan, I felt his grief when two Andalites I somehow knew were his parents died.

"I-I'm sorry," I muttered. Behind me, I heard a gulp and knew someone was crying.

(They died like warriors. Better honorably dead than forced to endure life as a slave.) Jalilan's thought-speak was calm, but we could all catch the undercurrent of sorrow.

(You must let me continue, there is no time! The few Andalites who escaped the mass infestation have taken refuge on one of the homeworld's lesser moons, shielded so the Yeerks are unable to locate them. They sent me to convey the news to Earth – it is certain that the Yeerks will try again. I repeat, you must spread the news! As far as we have been able to tell, the invasion is only in its very earliest stages. If you can make enough noise straight away, the population of Earth might yet be alerted.)

I'll confess, at that moment, I was terrified. I was trembling with my whole body. I didn't feel capable for what Jalilan wanted us to do. He must have realized that because he reached out and took my hand in one of his six-fingered ones. As I looked up into his eyes, I felt courage running through my veins. And it was right then that I realized; understood why I had to do this, and my realization in that deserted park became my strength for what was to come.

I had to fight. It was my duty.

I think Jalilan got some sense of my thoughts, because he dropped my hand and patted me on the shoulder.

(You have strength now.)

The look in his eyes was warm and approving.

Suddenly, it turned to barely-disguised terror.

(They are here.)

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**Yay, thanks for bearing with me! XD I hate making the thought-speech normal brackets, but ff is anal :(**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! It is now November, and even though I have 2 papers left, they're multiple choice, baby!! XD I feel really free! Especially considering I think I did pretty well :) But those 2 papers may destabilise things. Hmph. **

**Anyway, chapter 3! Again, I HATE the way ff can't do thought-speak brackets :( **

**P.S.** **Any of you** **guys like/have read Lord of the Flies? Only it happens to be my favourite book of ALL TIME and it would ROCK that other people actually like it. Yes, I watched the movie yesterday and am now filled with goodwill towards all man and a desire to continue my LOTF fic... XD**

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**Chapter Three**

(Quick!) hissed Jalilan. (Hide!)

We scrambled from the clearing the fighter had left into the relative cover of trees and shrubs. As I turned to go, I hesitated.

"What about you?"

(I know my fate. I am resigned to it. Go!)

He saw the look on my face. (I am an _aristh_. A warrior cadet. I can face this.)

He was just a kid. Whenever I remember him now, I always see him as he was at that moment. I think fear was eating away at him even more than at us. He knew what he had to do, the sacrifice he had to make.

This is the way it has to be.

I turned without a word and ran for cover. Jon pulled me behind some bushes, and I sank to the ground. Maria helped Will out of his wheelchair so he could lie flat, while Hannah pushed the chair off into the trees.

All these small actions seemed to take a lifetime; I could see the Bug fighters now, balls of light getting closer and closer to the park, and I thought they would surely see five frightened kids scrambling behind bushes. I won't lie, I almost forgot about Jalilan, standing tall in the clearing, tail cocked up over his shoulder, illuminated by the lights of the Bug fighters.

Waiting for the Yeerks.

There were three Bug fighters in all. They landed almost silently. Out jumped the strangest creatures I had ever seen.

On average, they were about seven feet tall, hulking creatures, with skin that looked scaly. It was about the colour of, you know, army camouflage material? Only the patches of different colours were actually shifting and moving on these aliens' skin. Somehow, the patterns on their skin corresponded with the scenery, so that you weren't sure whether they were there or not.

The broad, muscle-bound shoulders were surmounted by a head that looked absurdly small compared to the rest of the creature. You know the common perception of aliens, way before the Yeerks and the Andalites and all the rest of it? Venusians, Grays and little green men? Well, their heads were pretty much the standard alien, oval and elongated, with huge black eyes that dominated their features. I couldn't see any nose. The mouth was a V-shaped gash in the face, and as I watched then fan out around Jalilan, Dracon beams at the ready, several of them flicked absurdly long tongues out, as if they were tasting the air.

Their legs were very long, and bent slightly at the knee. The foot didn't have toes; it was like a flipper instead.

They had four arms. Two of the arms had a three-fingered hand at the end. These were the ones holding the Dracon beams.

The other two ended in wickedly-sharp blades.

Jalilan waited calmly as they surrounded him. (These aliens are known as Hols'aars. They are allies of the Yeerks. They enjoy killing. Watch and remember.)

The Hols'aars made no move towards the lone Andalite. Instead, they inclined their heads to the sky again. Waiting.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, as if it was just an extension of the dark sky, something landed. All four of Jalilan's eyes were riveted on it.

The Blade ship.

We'd all seen pictures of the Blade ship before, of course. Our Social Studies textbook had one on the cover page. So we were all familiar with the battle-ax shape, the huge wings that tapered back in lethal curves. We knew that the handle of the battle-ax was actually the bridge of the Blade ship.

The trouble is, a picture can't make you tremble and want to pee your pants. The Blade ship emanated an aura of pure, absolute evil, which radiated and seemed colder than the winter air.

A ramp descended from the side of the Blade ship. And call me weak, call me a coward, but I didn't want to see what was going to come out. I did not want that door to open, because if it did it would be irrefutable proof that the Yeerks were back, and I didn't think I could handle that, not here, not now. I felt my breath coming in great gasps.

I don't know what kind of creature I was expecting to emerge from the Blade ship. Some alien from the deepest reaches of space, probably. Or another Andalite.

Instead, a human walked calmly down the ramp and stepped onto the muddy ground. The Hols'aar-Controllers all made a kind of bow as he walked past them, towards Jalilan. The Andalite staggered – I guess his injuries were getting to him – but managed to stay upright as the human approached him.

I put his age at about thirty. He looked very fit, with dark hair cut close in a military-style crop. He wore some kind of uniform, too, and he had this unconscious air of command that subdued even the seven-foot-tall Hols'aars. There was a smile on his face, and it was not a nice smile. I shivered. Even though he was handsome, by human standards, there was something twisted and wrong about him. He radiated menace.

He was taller than Jalilan even, and as he came to stand in front of the young Andalite Jalilan stared him in the face. Goodness knows how much courage it took to do that – I could practically feel my bones turning to jelly just watching this guy from a distance.

I knew Jalilan wasn't going to show his fear.

(Visser One.)

Hannah jerked beside me; I knew she was thinking of her answer to Nicholson's question in Social Studies class – had it been a year ago?

Then, knowing of Visser One had been a privilege, something to be proud of.

Now, I knew seeing the real thing made her sad and angry all at once.

Visser One smiled.

"Quite right, my dear young _aristh_. I see you know of me – or I suppose that's a foregone conclusion, isn't it?"

(Your atrocities are well known. And universally reviled.)

Now the Visser laughed, throwing back his head in a parody of mirth.

"Oh, still so defiant, even when you know death is imminent? Very good… I am glad we sprung a surprise attack on the Andalites. You know, if they'd known we were reviving the Empire they might actually have defeated us!"

(Yeerk filth!)

Jalilan almost made a lunge for Visser One, and then seemed to think better of it as the Hols'aar-Controllers raised their Dracon beams.

"Getting angry with me won't help, you know." The Visser's voice carried a current of condescending amusement, as if Jalilan wasn't even worth bothering with. "You poor Andalites. You think you're lords of the galaxy, and your cursed arrogance governs your every action. Yet you never thought that the Yeerks might not have been defeated. While I was in prison for my so-called crimes in the last invasion, I was merely biding my time. Waiting until my loyal subordinates came to release me…"

Jalilan sneered, but his mask was cracking. I could hear the fear that he was trying so hard to conceal.

(How exactly did you manage that? I had the impression that the humans would rather die than let you go.)

"Of course, my naïve young Andalite. Fortunately, we Yeerks don't really have to think to deceive them. Some of my loyal Sub-Vissers released me from my prison, meanwhile leaving behind a substitute Yeerk." He laughed softly. "Typical humans. They put me in the most high-security place they can think of, and it only takes a few accomplices and a substitute to fool them."

(As I recall, the last Yeerk invasion was foiled by humans. Five of them, weren't there? The Animorphs.)

For a moment, as Visser One stepped forward suddenly, I thought he was actually going to strike Jalilan. Then he controlled himself with an effort and forced out a laugh.

"That was a freak incident, nothing more! This time nothing of the sort will happen."

He even sounded jovial as he explained.

"You see, the humans know nothing of what is going on. We have made sure to target the Secret Service and authority figures first. There will be no dissent as we infiltrate again. And of course, since we have been successful in halting all the Andalite scouts leaving from wherever you have been hiding, there will be no help from you either, won't there? As I speak, all the scouts are dead. And I'm afraid that you will soon be joining those few. Or on the other hand…"

Visser One looked thoughtful. Then he spoke to the Hols'aar-Controllers.

"Grab the Andalite and get him aboard my Blade ship. I'm going to find out what he's got in that mind of his. Where the escapees are hiding, for instance."

He smiled at Jalilan.

"You see, Andalite? Soon you'll be telling me everything."

Hannah half-rose beside me. I have no idea what she wanted to do – charge out there and take on the Visser and the Hols'aars? This wasn't like her; she usually had the sense to work out the strategic option. I pulled her down roughly. This wasn't the time for stupidity.

There was nothing we could do.

Jalilan stood there, a lone figure poised against the Yeerk forces. As we crouched, shivering, waiting for the inevitable conclusion, his thought-speak resounded in our heads once again.

(Tell no one.)

He took a step towards Visser One, who laughed and drew back until he was behind the wall of Hols'aar-Controllers.

(The Escafil device is concealed in my ship.)

A Hols'aar tried to put a hand on him but Jalilan flicked his tail and the Controller fell back, roaring, clutching a bleeding arm.

Jalilan's next words came so softly I wasn't sure if they were for us. Or himself.

(I am the servant of the people. I am the servant of my prince.)

He sprung forward in a barely-controlled rush of speed and disarmed the two Hols'aars nearest to him. Heading straight for Visser One.

(I am the servant of honor.)

The Visser screamed in rage.

(My life is not my own, when the people have need of it.)

The Hols'aar-Controllers were in disarray. They fumbled for their weapons.

"Shoot him! Kill the Andalite!"

(My life is given for the people, my prince -)

The first Dracon beam raked Jalilan's side. The Visser had drawn one he had carried in his waistband. Jalilan, close enough now, raised his tail to strike. Visser One aimed his Dracon beam. It was a shot he couldn't miss.

TSEEW!

Jalilan was gone.

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**OK, chapter 3 down!! Forgive me for the DRAMA, but I'm a sucker for it. Maybe eliminating it from my personality would make me a better person :( Also, forgive my outrageous alien anatomy XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! Exams are over, I am a happy duck and departing for Scotland in a few hours time! I wanted to get this chapter up before I get too incapacitated with jet-lag to even LOOK at a computer. **

**I am VERY glad that there are NO thought-speak brackets in this chapter. You see, I can never bring myself to type it with (these brackets) on Word. Call me stupid, but there XD**

**On with the fanfic!

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**Chapter Four**

Visser One, still holding the smoking Dracon beam, screamed as he regarded the patch of ash and wisps of smoke that were all that was left of the Andalite.

"You fools! I ask you to restrain one _aristh_ and you can't even manage that?! Thanks to you we will not be able to find out where the rest of those accursed Andalites are hiding!"

One of the Hols'aar-Controllers said something in a low voice to another. I strained my ears to listen but its voice was low and gravely, and the words it said were grunt-like and incomprehensible.

The Visser turned on it.

"You! Yes, you! Step out here. What do you mean by questioning my judgment?"

The Hols'aar stepped out nervously. I noticed that its legs were overlong for its body, and this made it ungainly. It let the Dracon beam in its main hands fall to the ground. Although I couldn't find emotion on the blank features, I knew if the Hols'aar had any sense, it was scared. It was scared plenty. It tried to explain itself.

"Visser, tak' il graha'ar, kchrk Andalite…"

Since there was actually a class in Galard offered at the high school and I'd heard it spoken some, I knew enough to realize that this wasn't it. I guessed Visser One didn't have any trouble understanding the Hols'aar's language. His voice became silky. More dangerous than before.

"Do. Not. _Ever_. Question. My. Decisions."

He raised the Dracon beam and fired again. The Hols'aar collapsed. Visser One turned to the rest of the company. Even behind the bushes, we all could feel that the fear had been upped a few notches. Visser One didn't even seem to see the consternation he'd caused.

"You and you, construct a fence to conceal the Andalite fighter. We have been weakened too badly by the last war; there may be intact technology inside that we can appropriate. I will get the Controllers in this area to do a cleanup operation as soon as they can."

What he said next made me very afraid.

"Four of you, sweep the surrounding area for any watchers. I am not prepared to take any risks with this, since your stupidity has already jeopardized this operation."

I made urgent eye contact with the others. Slowly, very slowly, we began to inch our way backwards from the bushes we'd been crouching behind, making for the darkness of the trees not far away.

The Hols'aars were being very careful in their check, making sure to poke around every bush near the clearing. In a way, this was good. It meant we had a bit of time to clear the empty space between the bushes and trees before they worked round to us.

On the other hand, the fact that they were being so careful meant they were all the more likely to find us.

We ended up behind separate trees; I thanked God that we'd managed to get Will's wheelchair out of sight, deeper into the undergrowth. I could feel cold sweat droplets drenching my forehead and popping out all over my body. My heart was beating the fastest it had ever been in my life, and I was sure the Hols'aars would hear it from where they were. I had to fight the urge to just cut and run.

The Yeerks couldn't suspect anyone had been watching. If they did, there went our last chance for cover later.

The Controllers were drawing nearer.

I realized with a sudden sick surge of fear that Will hadn't yet fully made it into the trees. He was crawling slowly, using his arms to draw his useless legs along. If the Hols'aars carried on as they were doing now, they'd see him.

My breathing increased rate until every breath hurt. Will just needed a few seconds to get to safety…

The Hols'aar-Controllers were almost on us!

CRASH!

There was a loud noise from the clearing, presumably made by the fence-builders. The Hols'aars searching the bushes turned for a moment, their blank eyes fixed on the scene.

Away from us.

Will edged into the shadows. I saw Maria reach out and help him behind her tree. My pent-up breath whooshed out in one, painful exhalation.

The Controllers were now poking around in the bushes that we had been crouching behind. One of them, with a guttural word to its companions, left the edge of the clearing and started for the trees.

All of us stayed as still as we could. My whole body was shaking. I was terrified they'd hear me breathe. A thought struck me and I prayed that Hols'aars didn't have much of a sense of smell.

This one was heading straight for me. I pressed myself into the bark of my tree, hoping that the trunk would shield me from the seven-foot-tall alien now looking around with huge, empty eyes. I dared not turn my head to check on the Hols'aar. Instead, I stared straight ahead into the darkness, praying that it would go.

There was a flash of light in the corner of my eye.

One of the Hols'aar's hand-blades!

He was actually resting it against the tree-trunk!

I prepared for discovery, wondering if it'd use the Dracon beam or its blades.

There was a grunt above my head.

The blade withdrew.

The Hols'aar crunched back through the undergrowth, growling to the other three. _Nothing here_. They moved off to search the remainder of the perimeter. I slumped against the tree. All the adrenaline that had been coursing through my veins left me then and I felt like crying like a little scared kid.

The others peered cautiously around tree-trunks at me. I gave a shaky thumbs-up, then followed it with a 'wait' signal. From the sounds coming from the clearing, the fence-building was nearly done.

We waited for the rush of air and the absence of light that meant the Yeerks had lifted off. Then we ran.

I don't know how the others managed to get home out of that deserted park. All I know is that I ran, tripped and stumbled through the trees until my feet found a path and I followed it blindly, running anywhere but back towards the horror we'd just witnessed. It was a miracle that, when I finally got back to the light, I'd come out on a street I recognized.

Even then, I didn't slow down. I ran all the way back home as if the Hols'aars were still after me.

I opened the door as quietly as I could. I was late, after all, and I didn't want to be interrogated by my parents. After waiting a bit in the hall until my breathing slowed down and I was sure I wasn't trembling anymore, I joined my family in the dining room.

They were grouped around the dining table, all three of them. Mom, Dad and my little sister Sophia, all chatting away and eating. As I slid into my place I looked around at them, and it struck me how abnormal this family scene seemed, after the park. Now that I knew the Yeerks were back I wasn't sure if I could just take my place and relax with them.

It turned out to be easier than I'd expected. My parents were off into one of their debates/arguments about some trivial issue that escaped me. They do it all the time, and it's never serious, but all in good fun. It can get tedious to listen to, though. Tonight I was glad of it. It gave me an excuse to sit, eat and stay out of the conversation.

Still, what I'd just seen was preying on my mind so much that, when Mom was clearing the plates away before bringing out the dessert, I asked a question.

It was stupid; I'll be the first to admit it. Stupid, and possibly suicidal. If Hannah or Jon had been there they would never have said it. As it was, I regretted the words as soon as they were out of my mouth.

"Hey, Dad? Do you think the Yeerks could ever come back?"

Mom had come back to the table to clear my plate. I watched my parents' faces. Carefully, I studied them. Hoping to see something, anything that could give me an indication of what I was looking for. Not knowing what I'd do if their expressions suddenly became guarded and secretive. Not sure how I'd deal with myself if that happened. Not sure whether I wanted to know.

Dad leaned his chin on his palm, as he always did when he was thinking. Mom picked up my plate and disappeared into the kitchen. Her face registered nothing more than mild interest.

Dad gave my question his usual thought. Then he answered.

"No, Steve, I don't think so. They won't try that again."

I could see nothing on his face.

I did not feel one bit better.

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**I tried to really build up tension in this chapter, what with the Animorphs having to hide and being so close to discovery etc. I really hope it worked :) Please could you use it as a criterion for criticism if you review? Thanks a lot!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! I'm sorry for the long hiatus, but I'm back at school now and trying to get my bearings in Junior College =x I'll just say that they expect us to self-study and that's not working well for me... I must find motivation!! XD**

**OK well, here's Chapter 5! Enjoy! :)

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**Chapter Five**

The next day was a school day. I sat with Jon on the bus, as usual. Hannah and Maria sat together, as usual. And Will sat off by himself in the disabled section, as usual.

No signal passed between us; no sign that we'd seen what we had the night before and the responsibility we'd been entrusted with. We ignored each other. Somehow, all of us knew how crucial it was that we keep up an appearance of normalcy. And normal, for us, was barely knowing each other.

We went through the morning's classes like that. For me, it was as if everyone around was acting suspicious, though. I would keep feeling eyes on my back when I sat at my desk, and had to restrain myself from turning to see who was eyeballing me. By lunch period, I was so tightly-wound I expected Hols'aars to pop up from behind the lockers. Jon seemed as highly-strung as I did. He'd mentioned the night before once, in tense, nervous tones. Asked me if it was a dream.

I knew that we couldn't go through the day acting totally like nothing had happened. We had to beat the Yeerks to the clean-up operation, for one thing. So I unobtrusively gathered the others at the same table during lunch. As we ate, I tried to speak as softly as I could, trusting that the hum of conversation all around would mask my voice.

"OK, guys. Somehow, today, we have to get to Jalilan's fighter. And then we'll have to sneak in through the barricade to search for the morphing cube. I think we should do it right after school. There are lots of people in the park at that time, so I guess the Yeerks won't try to get to the fighter until it's cleared up a bit."

I saw varying degrees of uncertainty on their faces. I knew how they were feeling. Myself, I was scared witless by the very idea.

But I kept quiet about it. From the encounter the night before, I'd gotten some idea of what the others expected of me. First and foremost, I wasn't allowed to freak.

"I don't think we should go as a group, though," Hannah said. "I mean, we don't hang around together normally. A group of five hanging around the fighter would sound alarms for the Yeerks."

Maria took a deep breath and waved a forkful of pasta to emphasize her point.

"You all do know that this is possibly the craziest thing we've ever done, right? I mean, it's un-freaking-believably insane. We could all end up dead!"

Jon glanced around, nervously.

"Shh, keep your voice down. It's not safe around here." Maria had made her last remark in a louder voice than either Hannah and I had used; some people at adjacent tables were looking across with curiosity.

"Sorry." Maria spoke in a whisper this time. "I only wanted to make sure you all understood how dangerous, stupid and possibly suicidal this is."

Surprisingly, it was Will who answered her.

"Yeah, it is. But I say we do it. For Jalilan."

Will spoke quietly, but we could all feel the emotion running through his words.

Jon's face relaxed; he didn't look so nervous anymore.

Hannah smiled and nodded.

Maria gave an exaggerated sigh, but at the same time reached across and patted Will's arm.

I drew them in closer.

"Here's the plan…"

We split up after that. Once school ended, Jon, Will and I made our way to the park. It took a bit of trouble, but we managed to find the clearing in the end. The fencing the Yeerks had constructed the night before was still in place. The muddy ground hadn't recovered from the battering it had taken; we could still make out the skid marks from Jalilan's fighter and the indentations from the Bug fighters and the Blade ship.

The fence looked extremely tall and solid.

I gave the surroundings a quick once-over. The clearing was on a slight hump in the ground, which gave us a good view down onto the field at the base of the hillock. There were only a few people down there; kids with Frisbees and balls, some adults out walking dogs and the like. We would be able to see anyone making their way over. At the same time, though, the brush growing up the sides of the hill wasn't enough to completely obscure the fence, which stuck out like a sore thumb. The plan was to work fast and trust to luck that no one would be struck by curiosity.

"Will, go keep a lookout."

Will nodded and positioned himself behind a tree, where he would be hidden from the field below but still have a good view.

Jon and I worked round the fence, running our hands over the smooth, raw-looking wood, feeling for weak spots. The cold had seeped into the plywood and soon our hands were raw and aching. We continued, every muscle tense, hoping we'd find an opening before anyone saw what we were doing.

We'd been doing this for a bit when there was rustling in the bushes on the side of the hill that was hidden from the field. Jon and I leapt about a foot, but it turned out to be just Maria and Hannah coming to join us.

The adrenaline was rushing through my body. I leant against the fence, pressing my forehead against the cold wood.

"I ask you!" Maria faced me, hands on hips. "Do I _look_ like a Hols'aar to you?"

Hannah joined Jon, beginning to feel the fence as well. "Well, no. That'd be unfair on the Hols'aar."

I couldn't help myself but laugh.

We worked in silence for a while, feeling for any weak spot that might present itself. We were pretty much fed up when we realized there wasn't one.

I found everyone looking at me, waiting… waiting for me to tell them what to do. That freaked me out not a little. I mean, at school I wasn't an obvious leader or anything. People liked me and went along with me, yeah, but I'd never given out orders, like they were expecting me to now.

What scared me even more was that my brain was reacting. It saw a need, and filled it. I knew what to do.

"We'll concentrate on one plank; knock it around until it's loose enough to move aside."

Hannah looked doubtful. She opened her mouth to protest, but I cut in hastily.

"I know it's pretty dangerous, but it's our only choice."

We chose a plank that looked fractionally thinner than the others, though I suspected that was just wishful thinking. Together, we set about wobbling it like a loose tooth, hoping that our combined strength would be enough to dislodge the plank, driven into the mud as it had been by a troop of seven-foot tall Hols'aars.

Right.

Thankfully, it had rained the night before and the ground was muddy slush. We spent many patient minutes pulling the plank around, and were rewarded with the fact that it certainly was getting looser. I gave it one or two good kicks with my sneakers and it sagged crazily inwards until we pushed it down to lie flat on the ground.

We were in.

Somehow, nobody wanted to go inside the fence and poke around in the wreckage of the Andalite fighter. In the end, the job fell to me. I saw the others' expectant looks and sighed, resigning myself to it.

Maria moved off to join Will in watching the people down below; Hannah and Jon stayed outside the fence as I moved inwards, trying to sort through the crazy fragments of what had, until lately, been a spaceship. Much of it was twisted, blackened metal, scorched by its entry through the atmosphere. A horrible thought struck me.

Would the Escafil Device have been smashed along with the ship?

I tried to push the thought from my mind as I quickly sifted through the debris. I went through it two or three times.

No morphing cube.

Will hissed from his lookout position.

"Steve! A bunch of guys with tools are coming this way!"

Yeerks.

Frantic now, I dug through the wreckage, tearing my hands on the rough edges of the metal. All I could see was mud and metal. No cube in sight.

"Steve!"

Hannah leaned through the gap in the fencing.

"You've got to stop now! They're nearly at the hill; if they see us here they'll catch us!"

I'd gone over the fighter about five times now. The cube definitely wasn't there. I tried to leave the metal in roughly the same position as I had found it in. If it looked like someone had been scrabbling through it our days were numbered.

I backed out through the hole in the fence. Feverishly, we worked to drive the plank back into the ground, hoping that it would be hard to tell the difference between the other planks and the one we'd loosened. Maria scuffed out our footprints and Will's chair tracks as well as she could.

"Steve! They're climbing the hill!"

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**Hope you enjoyed that! :) You notice that Steve is taking on more and more of a leadership role... Oh, and even though there haven't been many clues as yet, anyone who can guess which state the Animorphs are from gets... my love. Lots of it.**


	6. Chapter 6

**OK, wow, it's been a while =D Just thought I'd see if people actually still read this.**

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**Chapter Six**

Will's urgent whisper shot through us like something physically cold. I calculated the odds. There was a path that led up and around the hillock, and that was obscured from the clearing by the trees and bushes we'd hidden in the night before. The Controllers would come up that way, if they hadn't seen us.

If they had, they'd come straight up the side, trying to catch us as quickly as possible.

Praying that we'd been concealed enough by the undergrowth, I motioned the others to climb down the other side of the hill. We all could hear the _crunch_ of boots on the gravel path and rumbling voices. With the speed of desperation, Maria, Jon and Hannah ran down the side of the hump away from the human-Controllers. Using his arms to turn the wheels of his chair, Will followed them.

I was the only one left with the fighter. The wind had gotten colder and there was a bitter taste in my mouth. We'd failed. We'd failed Jalilan. We hadn't found the morphing cube.

The voices were getting closer.

"Steve! Come _on_!"

With one last glance at the fence surrounding the Andalite fighter, I ran.

The next day was a Saturday. Jon and I had agreed to meet some other friends at the skate park, and we had to keep the agreement, or it would have looked suspicious.

We both had started getting into skateboarding a year or two ago, after hanging out at the skate park for something to do and seeing all the older kids do their awesome moves. So, we decided to try out; or rather I persuaded Jon to take it up with me. That's usually how it was back then. I'd think of something (usually something moderately crazy, but not always) that we could do, and then persuade Jon to tag along. He's always been much more cautious than I am.

Anyway, I used a few months' allowance to buy a deck, and Jon managed to persuade his foster parents to get him one as well one Christmas. Then we practiced a bit on the sidewalk outside my house, falling down a lot and skinning quite a few knees, teaching ourselves tricks from a book. It's not like either of us is really any good on a skateboard – I mean, we can stay on and do a few basic moves, but we're not pro or anything. Jon's a lot better than me. He's got this natural grace that makes him look good, somehow, even though his repertoire is pretty limited.

We made quite a few good friends our age at the skate park, so hanging out there became a usual weekend fixture. Even when it was winter, like now, the skate park became a place just to stand around, talk and watch the few brave souls attempt to actually skate. We couldn't just cut it for no reason. Jon called at my house in the morning as he usually does.

The only difference was that I wasn't awake when he came over. I hadn't slept all that well the night before. Jalilan's hopeless face kept intruding between me and rest, and I'd only fallen into a peaceful, dreamless sleep sometime in the morning, so I hadn't woken up when I was supposed to.

I was rudely awoken by Jon yanking the covers off me and opening the window so the room was saturated with freezing air. When I tried to curl up around my pillow, he grabbed it and whacked me.

"Get up, lazy! Time to get going!"

I am not the most coherent of people in the morning. Especially not when my blanket has been stolen and I have been chilled to the point of death as _well_ as whacked with a pillow.

"Mmph… Wha…?"

Jon shook his skateboard under my nose.

"You know, what we usually do on a Saturday? Going out in the freezing air to attend a societal congregation that is pretty pointless in winter but is necessary, for some obscure reason? Skateboarding?"

"Oh yeah…. Right…" I sat on the edge of the bed. I'd slept on my hair funny, and it stuck out at the back and flopped into my eyes. I tried to straighten it out. Jon installed himself into the chair in front of my desk.

"I'll just wait here, then. Take your time."

That's the thing with Jon. Whatever he says it sounds like he really believes it. It's difficult to spot sarcasm in anything that comes out of his mouth. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

I stumbled blearily across the landing to the bathroom. The hot jet of the shower cleared my head a bit, and I was more wide awake when I got back to the bedroom. Wide awake enough to notice what was strange about this whole thing.

"Hey – how did you get in here?"

Jon was reading a comic book he'd picked up and laughing to himself. "What? Oh, your mom was just going out to work when I came by. She said you were still asleep and that I'd better come in, since she didn't want to have a death from hypothermia on her hands."

"Right." I jammed my feet into sneakers and grabbed my skateboard.

"Come on, let's get going." Going to the skate park did sound like a good idea at the moment. Anything to get Jalilan's image out of my mind. Anything normal.

The bunch of kids we usually hung out with was there when we arrived. No one was doing much boarding so they were sitting on one of the ramps, talking.

They greeted Jon and me when we walked up and sat down too. Jon was soon laughing with them but I looked around the circle of faces as if seeing them with new eyes.

Sure, we'd been friends for a couple years now, but did that mean anything? The Yeerks are insidious. I stared as hard as I could, thinking maybe I'd sense something, some vibe that would tell me all was not right. I wanted to think that, if I looked hard enough, I'd be able to see the grey slugs that might be lurking.

I guess I looked out of it; Jon gave me a nudge that meant "get with it".

It wasn't quick enough. The others had already noticed. CJ, a tall, blond boy who was one of the best among us at the whole skateboarding thing, leaned across curiously.

"What's wrong, Steve?"

Great.

"Uh…I…"

I couldn't very well say "I'm currently the de facto leader of a band of kids that are the only force currently standing between the Earth and Yeerk re-invasion, oh, and did I mention we don't even have morphing power to fight with, that's why I'm scared as hell", so I just mumbled something that didn't even pretend to be words. Jon saw I was in trouble, and quickly butted in.

"He's really tired these days, not been getting enough sleep, right, Steve? No idea why, but he was so dead to the world this morning I had to come in and yank off his covers before he woke up!"

They laughed at that, and forced Jon to expand on my supposed insomnia, leaving me to sit off and join in the laughter when I was expected to. I was glad he'd taken the responsibility of explaining off my shoulders.

I had a feeling that I was going to have to deal with quite enough responsibility to be getting on with.

Still, after a while of just sitting and feeling the wind knife through my jacket, I began to feel better. The coldness of the air scoured my tired mind, cleansing it of the fear and guilt and bitterness I'd been feeling lately. I found myself joining in the conversation, laughing along with my group of friends.

The weather was too cold for us just to sit there, so when we began to feel our limbs getting numb we grabbed our decks and tried out a few tricks. Somehow, it was totally exhilarating to rush down the ramps, through the winter air, feeling it stripe our cheeks with pink.

Sometime in the middle of all this, as I yelled to the others and raced Jon over and around the ramps and half-pipes, I forgot all about Jalilan and the mission he had given us. Rather, I pushed it to the back of my mind and for a while I was just me again, with no knowledge of aliens other than from schoolbooks and no idea that the Yeerks had already landed. I knew a leader wasn't supposed to act this way, and that I'd have to get back in the game sooner or later.

But you know what? That was fine with me, because I had here and now.


End file.
